VERNON — A Sussex County animal rights activist was found guilty ofinterfering with state wildlife biologists who were trying totranquilize a bear to change its radio collar and resisting arrest, ajudge has ruled.

Susan Kehoe, 60, of Vernon was found guilty under New Jersey’sso-called hunter harassment statute, which prohibits animal rightsactivists from interfering with hunters.

The incident began when Kehoe set out with her neighbor and fellowlongtime activist Angie Metler, 53, on Oct. 8, 2008, after beingnotified that biologists were in the south parking lot of MountainCreek ski resort in Vernon, near Route 94 and 517.

A bear had been tracked to a nearby wooded area by members of thestate’s Bear Project who were trying to tranquilize a large femalebear wearing a global positioning system transmitter collar with alow-running battery.

The wildlife workers claimed they were initially unable to safelyshoot a second dart -- which is required to ensure the animal is fullysedated -- because Kehoe positioned herself in the vicinity of thebear and caused a commotion at the scene.

Kehoe herself testified during the nonjury trial that she could havebeen accidentally hit by the first shot because of her proximity tothe animal.

Kehoe said she had been working on a documentary for years and wantedto document the activities of the wildlife workers. Metler and Kehoeplanned to post the photos on the websites for the Bear Educationaland Resource Group and the Animal Protection League of New Jersey.

Kehoe was also found guilty of resisting arrest for refusing to puther hands behind her back when she was being arrested by Vernon policeofficers Harry Russo Jr. and William Terrill.

Kehoe had refused to put her hands behind her back because she claimedit would be too painful to do so due to surgery that she had on herright arm in 1999.

" ... She regularly hikes in the woods and climbed up and down thewalls of a ravine to get to the location where the DFW personnel were.Her arms are apparently strong enough to carry recording equipmentwhile participating in such activities," the judge ruled.

Kehoe’s attorney, William Strazza, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Not in that county. They are fed up with this bunch. Another of their group a couple of years ago got 30 days in jail for the exact same thing, interfering with a hunt and disorderly conduct resisting arrest, same charges. That guy interferred with a bear trap set out by the DNR. And this woman was cited for illegally feeding bears 2 years ago.

that bunch was out in force during the last bear hunt --and were roaming the woods claiming they were a wounded bear rescue team--HA HA!!they ended up arrested [hunter harassment-and terroristic threats-i think]these few jokers get all the press they want-the papers print every word of they're misguided nonsense--the judges seen to be growing weary of thier antics--maybe jail will convince them to find a new hobby----------mike

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...being that I am not running for office--I have no need to be "politically correct"

For those of you who don't know, the state of New Jersey had planned on having a bear hunt to control a bear overpopulation problem. Naturally, this became a very controversial issue, with Animal Rights people bound and determined to stop the hunt. First, they unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit to stop it. Then, one group initiated a campaign to recruit volunteers who would train in the fine arts of hunt sabotage and then disrupt the hunt, which is patently illegal.

Predictably, four people were arrested for allegedly interfering with the hunt. One of those was Angela Metler, a long time Animal Rights activist with ALF connections who is the Director of the New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance. (Ms Metler was once, along with Professor Steven Best, Dr. Jerry Vlasak, and Camille Hankins, a Press Officer for the terrorist Animal Liberation Front. Her name no longer appears as one on the ALPO website, so with Professor Best's departure, "now there are two.")

Here's the most complete story — and an altogether fascinating one — that I've found about the events surrounding the arrests. It smacks of truth to me, but you make your own call:

The charges stuck and the man who threatened hunters and the Ranger , Albert Kazemian was charged again in 2008 for pouring human urine over bear traps to keep them away from capture. .

In a report released Thursday, a state park ranger describes in detail a confrontation he and two hunters had with animal rights activists in the woods the day before. The ranger says he and his companions were surrounded by screaming women and genuinely feared for their lives after one of the activists, the only man charged (Albert Kazemain) threatened to "get my Arab friends."

Another of the activists, Angela Metler, "screamed at the top of her lungs" and told the ranger — who she thought was just another hunter — that "the only thing that should be hunted is hunters," the report says.

Metler, director of the New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, and three other activists were arrested in Wawayanda State Park in Vernon on Wednesday morning, the third day of this week's black bear hunt.

The four were all charged with hunter harassment, disorderly conduct, obstructing the administration of law and resisting arrest.

Albert Kazemian of Vernon, also faces a terroristic threats charge — punishable by three to five years in state prison — for allegedly threatening the lives of the hunters.

That's some serious hard time . . . I suspect that some sort of deal will be reached, but still . . .

Lynda Smith, director of the anti-hunt Bear Education and Resource Group — of which the arrested activists are all members — called the ranger's narrative outrageous. She said she has seen a videotape of the incident and that no one was yelling in it.

"The way that it's being portrayed by (the state) is not at all in line with the way it happened, and the truth will come out," Smith said.

I'm looking forward to seeing the tape, or a reliable summary of it.

She added that the BEAR Group is a strictly nonviolent organization, and would never advocate violence against hunters or anyone else.

"To make accusations about people who would literally not hurt a fly — that's outrageous," she said.

Perhaps they wouldn't hurt a fly . . . but then, humans aren't flies, and threats made against humans are often taken seriously by humans. (Flies seem to have a much hard time deciding whether or not threats are credible . . ..)

The videotape will likely be used as evidence for the defense, Smith said, adding that the group's lawyers are considering whether to file unspecified counter-charges against the hunters and the state.

The ranger, Officer Walter Sanford of the state park police, went into the woods with the two hunters in response to complaints of activists harassing hunters over the previous two days. He disguised himself in a hunting jacket and ski mask.

They entered the woods around 8 a.m., and before long ran into a group of five people wearing orange "Wounded Bear Rescue" T-shirts, who began following them.

"I asked them what they were doing and the said that they were bird watching," Sanford says in the report. "I replied that was great and continued my walk."

The report says the group soon began surrounding them, at times at a range of 10 feet.

"In an elevated tone, they began calling us killers and telling us we shouldn't be here and that these were their bears," it says. "We replied that we thought they were bird watching."

After the hunters moved farther into the woods and "begged" the activists to leave them alone, the report says the group moved in even closer, within 5 feet. That's when the report says Metler screamed and said she would not leave them alone.

Sanford says he and Metler had a lengthy conversation, although the other three women "continuously screamed and yelled."

At one point, he says, "Hunter A" mentioned a hunter in Pennsylvania who was mauled by a bear he had shot last month, and Metler replied that "it was about time the bears fought back and she wished the guy was killed."

At one point in the argument, Sanford and the hunters said they agreed with the activists' right to voice their opinions and mentioned that American soldiers in Iraq are "fighting for freedoms such as these."

In was at this point, Sanford says, that Kazemian said: "I'll get my Arab friends to hunt you down; see how you like it." He and Metler then asked the hunters where they lived.

"I asked why and asked if they were going to kill us," Sanford says. "I looked at Mr. Kazemian, who tilted his head slightly, raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders at me in the typical way most people would say 'I don't know' or 'Maybe.'

"I turned and looked at the other two hunters and I could see that they were visibly shaken and worried.

Hunter A looked at me with a worried look on his face and it was at this point I knew I had to call for backup for the safety of myself and the hunters."

Sanford's tale has the ring of truth about it, and if the facts are anything approaching what he says they are, he and his hunter colleagues would have reason to fear that they, or their homes, would be attacked by some useful idiots acting on the information provided by some AR/AL website.

Sanford then took off his ski mask and coat, identifying himself as a park policeman and telling them they were all under arrest.

Kazemian then backed away and struggled with the officer while the others walked away into the woods and Metler "hid behind a very large rock," the report says.

Heh. So much for them having the courage of their convictions. The mental image I have of Metler hiding behind a rock is just too delicious for words.

The report says the situation calmed down when other officers arrived; four of the five activists began to cooperate, although the fifth, an unidentified woman, ran away through the wood and was not caught.

Besides Metler and Kazemian, those arrested were Janet Piszar, of Millburn, and Theresa Fritzges, of East Windsor. All four were taken to the Vernon police station, where they were processed and released.

Kazemian is to appear in Vernon Municipal Court on Tuesday.

[ . . . ]

McHugh said Sanford was simply doing his job by going undercover to investigate the hunter harassment complaints. He added that state officials are also investigating two reports of illegal bear-baiting by hunters.

Baiting the animals is legal, but hunters are not allowed to lie in wait within 300 feet of the bait-piles.

If hunters were in violation of the law, they should be nailed. Period.

"I think it's been a successful hunt," McHugh said.

Among the 246 bears killed so far were 15 so-called nuisance bears that had been tagged earlier this year. McHugh said the hunt itself acts as a deterrent to keep bears away from populated areas, and predicted a major decline in nuisance complaints next year.

The hunt will continue through Saturday.

On the hunt's final day, the BEAR group plans an organized protest at the bear check station in Wawayanda state park.

So Metler et al are protesting the killing of . . . what . . . perhaps what will turn out to be 300 bears for the purposes of reducing what is now bear overpopulation.

If she and her gaggle of compatriots are looking for a cause, why not go after PeTA? PeTA kills something like 80% of the dogs and cats they take into their Norfolk facility — just shy of 12,500 from the second half of 1998 through 2004.

Why does Ms Metler turn her critically moral eye on the bear hunters, but not on PeTA?

mira ---look for the Star Ledger [local news paper]--they like to showcase the activiststhe bear population is unbelievable in sussex co--for example last year while bowhunting deer in september- one morning i had 12 bears pass my stand by 9:00 am--the deer are more than a little nervous---these nusiance incidents they speak of include home invasions [more than one killed by officers in the house!!]/garage doors torn from the house [to access trash cans]/mugging [guy got jumped/seperated shoulder/gash on head/bruised ribs]this happened in his driveway in broad daylight!!i live just over the river[delaware] from sussex co,nj in PApa has a bear season and alot of guys participate--any how there are still plenty of bears in pa --but they are a different,more respectful bear--if you encouter one he beats feet!!!just the other night i walked out the back door and startled a #200+er and boy did he get lost fast--respect-in pa man could mean the end!!i work in sussex co,NJ--at a summer camp-not wilderness-but definatly the woods--there in the same senario--i would have to yell/throw stones/--the bears are 5 generations from being hunted--little or no fear of man--in fact stying close to buildings and man are a life-style in NJ!! i hear the new govenor is having a hunt this year--that is to be seen--i hope they do ---it will give the wounded bear rescue team something to do!!!!HA HA!!!--------------mike

_________________________
...being that I am not running for office--I have no need to be "politically correct"